


Unexpected

by dreamsofolicity



Series: Olicity Hiatus Fics [6]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff, Language, Met Sooner, OHFAT, Olicity Hiatus Fic-A-Thon, Olicity Hiatus fic, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-28 10:19:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11415864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamsofolicity/pseuds/dreamsofolicity
Summary: After Oliver leaves Hong Kong and winds up in Coast City, Felicity Smoak finds him in a tricky situation.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the sixth prompt in the Olicity Hiatus Fic-A-Thon: Unintentional Discovery
> 
> All of the flashbacks are canon up to this point, including Oliver seeing Felicity when Amanda and Maseo send him into Queen Consolidated.
> 
> I posted this a few minutes ago but did it wrong so I'm reposting it. I'm sorry about that.

Coast City didn’t agree with Felicity. She was sent for a conference on the new software that Queen Consolidated was integrating into their system, as if she didn’t know everything about it already. Her supervisor was supposed to be the one at the conference but, of course, the responsibility got pushed onto her shoulders instead. As Felicity side-stepped a puddle and crossed the street towards her hotel, she tried very hard not to contemplate murder. This was a punishment for being smarter than her supervisor, she was certain of it.

“Maybe if you didn’t show him up all the time, you wouldn’t get sent to Hell City for three days,” she muttered to herself.

She was ready to relax on her bed with her tablet in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. After a day at the sausage fest conference, because apparently women who weren’t being punished couldn’t attend, she didn’t want anything to do with the outside world for a few hours. So, of course, she just had to hear the sound of gunshots from a nearby roof. The street was nearly deserted. The few people that were loitering around didn’t pay the sounds any mind. Felicity was tempted to do the same and started to hurry towards her hotel when she heard a grunt from the alley that was only a few feet away from her.

Cursing quietly, she took a deep breath and stepped forward, hoping that she wasn’t about to be shot. Peering around the corner, her eyes widened as she realized that she was seeing a man with a hood over his face dangling precariously from some electrical wires. She could see him struggling to get down and counted it as a miracle that he hadn’t been electrocuted. She started to step forward to help him but then she saw the actual bow and arrows that littered the ground beneath him. That, paired with the green hood, brought a burst of hysterical, slightly shocked laughter to her lips, which of course brought his attention to her.

“Robin Hood?” Felicity said, shaking her head. “I’m not sure that arrows can do much against bullets. Not that I know much about arrows or bullets.”

She slowly moved around the weapons, feeling his eyes on her as she watched where she was going carefully.

“I mean, bow and arrows… they’re called medieval weapons for a reason. Unless you’re a time traveler, I would suggest finding a better weapon next time,” Felicity said, babbling on as she always did. “Not that I’m condoning violence. I definitely think that you should find a better hobby but if you’re going to chase people with guns, maybe get a kevlar vest or something.”

Cutting herself off, Felicity finally lifted her eyes once she reached him. It was with startling clarity that she realized two things. One: the hood and green paint around his eyes did absolutely nothing to hide his identity. Two: this was most definitely Oliver Queen.

“Wow,” she said, her mind whirling. “That’s unexpected.”

He stared at her, clearly wary of her presence. But he couldn’t get himself out of these wires and they both knew it.

“Can you…” he gestured with his one free hand, his voice deeper and huskier than she expected.

Felicity nodded, finding herself at a loss for words. Reaching up, she carefully helped him free himself, letting out a gasp of shock as he seized one of the wires and flipped over, landing on his feet almost effortlessly. Definitely unexpected.

“I know who you are,” Felicity blurted out.

His eyes snapped to hers as he bent down, gathering the bow and arrows. Despite the long hair and the scruff that covered his jaw, he was undeniably the presumed dead heir from Starling City. Felicity knew of him only vaguely, having seen some of the paparazzi photos. His mother and sister passed through Queen Consolidated on occasion. He resembled both of them in different ways but his haunted eyes and heavy shoulders were all him. As well as the clearly defined muscles and the blood seeping into his shirt.

“Shit,” Felicity said, stepping towards him.

He took a step back in response, his hand gripping the bow tightly. In spite of the fact that he was practically a flashing danger sign, Felicity had the feeling that he wouldn’t hurt her. She really had no idea where it came from.

“You’ve been shot,” she said, gesturing to his shoulder.

“I don’t need you to tell me that,” he said gruffly.

Felicity frowned at him, crossing her arms over her chest. He clearly wanted her to go away. She stayed firmly in place, if just to piss him off.

“You’re kind of an asshole,” she said, staring him down. “Did you need me to tell you that or is it something else you already knew?”

He stared at her, a flicker of something like surprise and even the barest hint of amusement crossing his face. It gave Felicity pause and she was dropping her arms just as quickly.

“Sorry, bad day,” she said, shaking her head. “I can help you. I can’t imagine you’ll be going to the hospital.”

“I can handle it,” he said, stepping past her.

Felicity watched him go, feeling the need to stop him. She didn’t know why but he seemed like someone who hadn’t seen too much kindness over the past few years.

“Oliver?” she said with uncertainty.

The sound of his name brought him up short but he didn’t turn to face her.

“You don’t know me but I would really like it if you let me help you. My hotel is just around the corner so we won’t have to go far.”

Oliver didn’t say anything for several moments and she waited for him to walk away, becoming a mystery that she’d never solve. Then he nodded his head once and gestured for her to lead. Felicity moved quickly, hurrying to her hotel. He stayed behind her but she knew that he was following. Luckily the small lobby was mostly empty but the desk manager didn’t look too happy at the sight of a tall hooded figure carrying a bow and arrows through the hotel.

“Renaissance fair,” Felicity said with a nervous smile. “He can’t get enough of them.”

A huff of almost laughter came from behind her and she picked up her pace, moving quickly towards the elevators. The ride up was tense and she couldn’t help but bite down on her lower lip to keep from staring over at him. By the time they made it into her room, Felicity was practically bursting with all of the questions that she wanted to ask. But she kept quiet and pointed wordlessly to the bed before walking into the bathroom to get a washcloth and a cup of warm water. By the time she made it back into the room, the hood was gone as well as his shirt. The sight of his impressively toned torso wasn’t the only thing that brought her up short. The scars that littered his skin made her heart sink and her eyes sting just a little bit. He stared at her heavily, clearly expecting some sort of reaction. Instead, Felicity moved forward and sat beside him on the bed, pushing the cup into his hand before dipping the washcloth in the water.

“It’s just a graze,” she said, relieved at that.

Felicity definitely wasn’t prepared to dig a bullet out of Oliver Queen’s shoulder.

“Like I said,” he told her, turning his face to meet her eyes. “I could have handled it.”

“You’re acting like I tied you up and dragged you into my room,” Felicity said, rolling her eyes.

Her own words brought a very forbidden image to the forefront of her mind and she knew that her cheeks had to be bright red by now.

“It’s been a long time since someone offered me help without expecting something in return,” Oliver said with a shrug of his good shoulder.

Felicity swallowed hard, driving away the temptation to make some sort of joke to lighten up the situation.

“So how did a man who was supposed to have died in the North China Sea make his way all the way to Coast City?” she asked, focusing on cleaning the wound.

To his credit he didn’t flinch, either at the question or the pressure on the cut.

“It’s a long story,” he said, his voice distant.

Felicity knew that she probably wouldn’t get anymore out of him. Even though her curiosity was overwhelming, she didn’t want to push him for an answer. Not when she could see extremely violent evidence of his fight for survival.

“Well why aren’t you in Starling City?” she asked.

Oliver tensed up even more, his hands curling into fists where they were braced on his knees.

“I don’t want to be near my family,” he said darkly.

Felicity paused, somehow knowing that this had something to do with him and not his family. He had been confronting a man on a rooftop with a bow and arrows. Maybe he wasn’t Robin Hood, taking away from the bad guys to give back to the good ones. Maybe he was just a man trying to redeem himself for whatever he’d done to survive. Because whoever had given him these scars clearly didn’t win the fight since he was alive to sit in her hotel room.

“I work at your family’s company,” Felicity said.

His eyes turned to her again but she didn’t see any surprise in their striking blue depths. It was almost as if he already knew, which didn’t make any sense considering that they’d just met.

“I’ve never talked to your mother or your sister but they seem pretty strong to me,” she continued, taking the water from his hand to set it on the nightstand. “If it meant getting you back, I’m sure that they could handle whatever else comes with it.”

His large hand lifted, catching her much smaller one to pull it away from his shoulder. His palm was rough with calluses but his touch was gentle. Oliver took the washcloth from her hand and dropped it to the ground.

“Why did you want to help me?” he asked, looking up at her without releasing her hand.

Felicity didn’t really know how to answer him, so she settled with a simple shrug.

“I just… felt like it,” she said.

He stared at her with the slightest bit of wonder in his eyes.

“Who are you?” he asked, looking as if he didn’t quite believe that she was real.

She shifted slightly, realizing that her hand was still wrapped in his.

“Felicity,” she said.

He repeated her name in a soft voice, weighing it on his tongue before looking up at her again.

“Thank you, Felicity.”

She tilted her head to the side slightly.

“For what?”

The slightest smile pulled at his lips and he released her hand only to reach up, brushing an errant lock of hair out of her face. Then he was stiffening in place, his eyes moving to the door as he yanked his hands away from her. Felicity was about to ask if it was something she’d done but then the door slammed open with force, a few shards of wood flying into the air as she shrieked and threw herself off of the bed. Oliver reached out, grabbing her arm to pull her behind him as several armed men in suits flooded into the room followed by a beautiful, impeccably dressed woman. The bow and arrows were across the room lying across the small table by the kitchenette. He was clearly gauging whether he could make it to the weapons.

“What do you want, Amanda?” he growled out, glaring at the woman.

His entire demeanor had changed. Felicity almost didn’t recognize him from the man that she’d seen only moments ago. She remained behind him anyway, knowing that her choices were limited.

“I’m just trying to help you,” the woman, Amanda, said with a sickly smirk on her face.

Felicity remembered Oliver's words with clarity, knowing somehow that this woman wanted something from him in return.

“You’re coming with us, Oliver,” she continued.

“Like hell I am.”

Amanda nodded at the armed men, who advanced on Oliver at once. He flew into action, taking on three of them at a time without hesitation. He was a fluid fighter, outmatching each of the men. Felicity pressed herself flat against the wall, wondering if she could make it to her phone in time to call the police. When Amanda’s eyes zeroed in on her, she hated the cold amusement in them. Felicity’s eyes moved to Oliver where he’d finally managed to get a hold of his bow and arrows just as the cold muzzle of a gun pressed to her temple.

“Come with us, or this pretty little thing is going to be quite a mess,” Amanda said, gripping the back of her neck with surprising strength as she pulled her away from the wall.

Felicity stared at Oliver, her entire body shaking as she was forced to sit back down on the bed.

“I’m sorry,” she said, not really knowing why she was apologizing.

He didn’t take his eyes off of her, rage coming off of him in waves as he slowly lowered the bow. One of the men kicked it from his hands before forcing him down to his knees with a gun pressed to the back of his head. Another man secured his wrists in cuffs.

“Get him out of here,” Amanda said without removing the gun from her temple.

Even as they hauled him out of the room, Oliver’s eyes never once left Felicity’s. Once he was gone, she closed her own eyes and waited for the shot. Instead, Amanda stepped away and stowed the gun back where it came from, wherever that was. Felicity opened her eyes hesitantly, looking up at her.

“I trust that you won’t tell anyone about tonight’s events, Miss Smoak,” she said with a knowing look as she picked up Oliver's shirt and the hood. “But I’ll be keeping an eye on you just in case.”

With that, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving Felicity alone amidst a destroyed door, overturned furniture, and the mystery of Oliver Queen at the forefront of her mind. Who were those people? Where were they taking him? How did he know the dangerous woman? How did this Amanda know her name? Felicity didn’t know the answer to any of those questions and she knew that trying to find out the answers would probably put her back on the business end of a gun. So she pushed them all to the back of her mind and let only one remain.

Would she ever see him again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear what you think!
> 
> **tumblr -[dreamsofolicity](https://dreamsofolicity.tumblr.com/)  
>  twitter - [jedibellarke](https://twitter.com/jedibellarke)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One year, five months, and seventeen days passed before Felicity saw Oliver Queen’s face again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and commenting! It makes me very happy!
> 
>  
> 
> **If you are a visual person like me,[here is Felicity's outfit for the party.](http://www.polyvore.com/chapter/set?id=224605153)**

**FELICITY**

One year, five months, and seventeen days passed before Felicity saw Oliver Queen’s face again. She’d left Coast City hours after he was dragged from her hotel room, taking pictures of the destruction in case her supervisor decided to doubt her story about her room getting broken into. She certainly wasn’t going to be fired because she didn’t feel safe in that city anymore. If Felicity thought that she could somehow find Oliver, she would have stuck around anyone. But Amanda’s warning stuck, repeating in her head every day after. It took her a month to realize that it didn’t matter to her.

The anniversary of his “death’ came and went and she couldn’t live with herself, knowing that she was one of few people in the world that knew he was still alive. Felicity couldn’t just do nothing. So she did what she could without arousing too much suspicion. After securing her computer with a virtually unhackable system, she found her way into CCTV cameras all around the world. It was relatively easy, if not time consuming. Building up her own facial recognition program was a little harder, but she only wanted to find one face. One man.

One year, five months, and seventeen days after she met Oliver, an alert pinged while she was sitting on her couch eating mint chip and watching a random episode of Buffy. Felicity stared at the computer for a long time, unable to bring herself to move. She knew exactly what it meant. She just never actually thought that it would work. She just had to feel as though she was doing _something_. In her mind, either Oliver Queen was dead or so far underground that no one would ever find him. Clearly she underestimated herself.

Finally forcing herself to move, Felicity set aside the ice cream and paused the television before crossing to her computer slowly. Wiping her suddenly clammy hands on her pajama pants, she bent over and typed in her password. Pulling up the search, she clicked on the alert and let it lead her to one single photograph. It was grainy and not nearly as close as she’d like it to be. But it was definitely him. His hair was about the same length as she remembered and his face was void of any emotion.

“Hi there,” Felicity said, sinking down into her desk chair. “You’re still pretty cute. And definitely not dead.”

She typed quickly as she talked, finding an exact location for the picture.

“It’s that good you’re not dead. We didn’t get to finish our conversation. Not that our conversation should be on the top of your list of concerns since you’re in… Russia. Why are you in Russia?”

Felicity shook her head.

“I’m talking to a picture. When they put me in a straitjacket, I’m telling them that Oliver Queen haunted me to insanity. Let them diagnose that,” she muttered, zooming out of the picture only to see a man walking next to Oliver down the street. “And who are you?”

He was older and shorter but she could somehow sense that he was dangerous. Sitting back in her chair, she chewed on her lower lip as she considered her options. Oliver was alive, that much was clear. Felicity could easily drop this off at the Starling City police station and let them figure it out. Maybe she could even email it to the director of the FBI, though they got a little touchy about national security when that kind of stuff happened. So she stared and stared, trying to come up with something. Finally making up her mind, she leaned forward again and double checked her firewalls.

“I hate mysteries,” she reminded the picture of Oliver before she cracked her knuckles, shook her hand out with a pained curse, and got started.

Less than twenty-four hours later, she had her answer. His name was Anatoly Knyazev and he was one of the most dangerous men in Russia. Felicity had no way of knowing why Oliver was with him but she knew one thing. If he was involved with the Russian mafia, there was nothing that she could do without putting herself or others in a lot of danger. Oliver Queen wasn’t hers to save. She barely knew him. She would just have to live with the guilt that he was alive and there was nothing she could do about it.

So she closed down all of her searches, scrubbed any traceable data from her computer, and convinced herself that Oliver was, unfortunately, one mystery that would probably go unsolved.

Then, on a seemingly unremarkable day seven months later, Felicity rolled out of bed ready to start her daily routine. After brushing her teeth and splashing cold water on her face, she walked out to the main area of her townhouse. Picking up the remote from her couch, she switched on the television and turned it to the local news station, not really paying any attention as she made her way into the kitchen to start brewing her coffee. She didn’t even react to the breaking news jingle, pulling down a mug to pour the coffee into.

“Oliver Queen is alive,” the newscaster announced.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Felicity said, yawning as she poured creamer into her cup.

She was stirring it in, fighting her lingering exhaustion, when it finally occurred to her what she heard. Dropping the spoon on the counter with a loud clatter, Felicity whirled around and stared in shock at the television screen.

“Queen is the son of Starling City billionaire, Robert Queen, who was also on board but now officially confirmed as deceased,” the man on the screen said as a picture of Oliver and his father popped up.

Felicity reached up, running a shaking hand through her tangled hair. He was back. She couldn’t help but let out a breathless laugh. Closing her eyes, she remembered that small smile on his face as he brushed her hair out of her face. Oliver Queen was alive. Felicity wasn’t one of the few who knew the truth anymore. The entire world knew. She wouldn’t have to carry that guilt anymore. Even better, there was a chance that she may see him again.

“Slow down, Smoak,” she sighed, bringing herself back down to earth. “It’s highly unlikely that he even remembers you.”

Turning around, she picked up the spoon from the counter and continued stirring, unable to stop her mind from lingering on Oliver. He may not remember her but she’d remember him. Even if they never spoke again, she would always be happy that he was alive.

**OLIVER**

He barely heard Tommy talking. He knew that his friend wouldn’t resent him for it. Oliver hadn’t had much time to slow down since he got back to the house. Now that he was sitting there with his mother, who was very focused on Walter Steele, his sister, who didn’t seem to know how to talk to him, and his best friend, who was talking a little bit too much, Oliver had no idea what to focus on.

“What was it like there?” Thea asked, pulling Oliver from his thoughts.

Everyone’s eyes went to him as he glanced over at her, finally centering himself.

“Cold,” Oliver said, though he knew full well that it wasn’t the answer she was looking for.

Thea deflated a bit but there was understanding in her eyes. Oliver knew before he ever came home that his family would know as little about the island as he could manage, Tommy included. He wouldn’t darken their lives with his past. It had taken a long time for him to decide to come home. Now that he was here, he wasn’t going to give himself any reason to regret it. He had to be two people. It was best for everyone.

“Tomorrow,” Tommy said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “You and me, we’re doing the city. You’ve got a lot to catch up one.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Oliver’s mother cut in, a smile on her face.

“Good,” Oliver said with a nod, glancing towards her and Walter. “Then I was hoping to swing by the office.”

It wasn’t often that words slipped out of his mouth without him planning them carefully. Oliver didn’t really mean to declare his intent to visit Queen Consolidated. The memory of wide blue eyes and the softest touch on his skin brought the words out into the open. He had no way of knowing whether she even worked at the company anymore. But there was tug deep inside of him that wanted to see her, even if it was from a distance. She was a bright spot in the midst of a lot of darkness. Oliver selfishly craved it. He just wanted to see her one more time.

“Well there’s plenty of time for all of that,” Walter said, clearly try to steer him towards taking his time. “Queen Consolidated isn’t going anywhere.”

Oliver nodded once with a tense smile. Then Raisa tripped and he caught her, all thoughts of Queen Consolidated and the woman who helped him fading from his mind for the moment. It wasn’t until he was flying through the streets in Tommy’s Mercedes that she entered his mind again.

“I am counting on another target rich environment for your welcome home bash,” Tommy informed him on the heels of mentioning Oliver’s funeral.

“Wait, my what?” he said with a confused frown.

“This calls for a party! You came back from the dead,” Tommy reminded him, a mischievous smile on his lips. “You tell me where and when and I’ll take care of everything.”

Oliver shook his head with a smile as his eyes caught on an alley similar to the one back in Coast City. She’d approached him slowly, yet somewhat fearlessly as she rambled on about his weapon choice. Her eyes met his with immediate recognition but what she didn’t know was that he’d seen her before as well. She’d brought a smile to his face in that office and it was tempting to let her do the same in that alley. Maybe that was why he snapped back at her. The way she fired back a heated response and then immediately offered her help tempted him to accept it. Then she said his name with zero expectation or aggression, in a way that he hadn’t heard much since the Gambit went down.

“There’s a few names I may want you to add to the guest list,” he said.

“You can add as many as you want,” Tommy said, reaching over to clap his shoulder.

Oliver nodded, though there was just one that came to mind. All that he had to do was find out her last name. It was foolish. It would be hard to keep his distance. But he needed to see her. Then the night of the party rolled around and he seriously regretted having Tommy invite her. This was no longer about a welcome home bash. It was about Adam Hunt. As much as he hated it, he couldn’t let himself get distracted for even a moment. The last time he let himself get lost in her, she wound up with Amanda Waller’s gun pressed to her temple. Oliver wasn’t about to let anything like that happen again. He just had to hope that she wouldn’t show up at all, because he was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to stay away if she did.

**FELICITY**

She had tried to talk herself out of coming to this party at least a dozen times. Four times on the ride there alone. Felicity truly had no idea why she’d received an invitation. Okay she had an inkling but she shrugged it off, knowing that there was no way that Oliver Queen really singled her out for his “I’m not dead” party. It had to be a mistake. She was there to correct it, just so that they knew that the Felicity they intended to invite wasn’t going to be there. It was a good plan. No, it was a terrible plan. But she was there and the cab driver was waiting for his money. Once she paid him and made her way to the door, she was stopped by a man with a clipboard.

“Name?” he said, sounding bored with his entire existence.

“I, um…” Felicity hesitated, glancing around. “I think there’s been a mistake. I mean, I think I was invited by mistake.”

His eyes flickered over her before returning to the clipboard. Felicity knew that he was taking in her outfit. This dress was something that her mother convinced her to buy over a year ago. She couldn’t help but feel slightly uncomfortable in it, even though she knew for damn sure that it made her ass look good.

“Name?” he repeated.

“Felicity Smoak?” she said with uncertainty.

His eyes scanned the list for just a few seconds before he jerked his head towards the door. Felicity didn’t have much of a chance to gawk at him, wondering if maybe this wasn’t a mistake after all. The party was already in full swing as she made it inside. Large speakers at every turn were shaking the floor with heavy beats. The upper level of the building’s lobby wasn’t nearly as crowded as the lower level, where a writhing crowd of drunken socialites were letting loose. Scantily clad women danced on raised platforms and drinks passed to hands from the clearly free bar set up in the middle of the room. This was definitely not her scene. She shouldn’t have come.

Then she saw him.

The suit that he wore fit him like a goddamn glove, causing Felicity to shake her head at the unfairness as she leaned forward with her arms crossed over the railing. This wasn’t the man that she met in Coast City, who tried to call as little attention to himself as possible. It was unimaginable to think that every eye in the room wouldn’t be drawn to him. His hair was cut shorter than she’d seen it in any picture and, even in the flashing lights that were supposed to set the party mood, she could see the stubble that covered his jaw.

He was deep in conversation with his sister. It was clearly unpleasant judging by the tension in his shoulders and the unhappy look on her face as she took him to task for whatever happened. Felicity felt a pang of sympathy for them both. It couldn’t be easy for either of the Queen siblings. Thea had been twelve when Oliver disappeared. He probably came back expecting the same pre-teen that he’d left. Meanwhile she was seventeen now and, remembering what it was like to be seventeen, Felicity knew that she was probably pushing back against whatever expectations he may have of her.

As Thea stormed away from him, rejoining a group of friends, she saw him sigh and walk away as well, slipping something into a trash can. He looked out of place, even though he was dressed for a party just like this one. It was as if everyone else paled in comparison. Felicity saw his shoulders grow tense once more and his head began turning as he scanned the crowd. Her breath caught in her throat momentarily as she wondered if it was possible that he could feel her eyes on him. Is that why he looked so alert?

Felicity found herself gripping the railing with anticipation, her breaths coming quicker as he subtly checked every corner and crevice of the lower level. Then they slowly lifted upwards and her teeth sank into her lower lip. Her heart was doing its best imitation of a hummingbird’s wings. In a brief moment of panic, and of wondering what the _hell_ she was doing there, Felicity nearly stumbled backwards before he could see her. Then his eyes were on hers, pinning her in place with that same burning intensity that she remembered.

“Wow,” she breathed out before she could help it.

Everything about the look was working for him but she especially appreciated the lack of tie and open collar that teased her with glimpses of his collarbones and chest. Felicity remembered the scars that littered his skin and wondered if he’d gained anymore since then. When he broke his gaze away from her, Felicity closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe he didn’t remember her. Or maybe he just didn’t care. When she opened her eyes to turn away, ready to leave, Felicity realized that he was no longer standing in the same spot.

She quickly scanned the crowd only to find him heading towards the stairs that would lead right up to the upper level. Right up to her. Felicity took a quick step back, turning around with wide eyes. There was an exit off to the right that would lead her back toward the outside doors but a large amount of people were blocking her way. To the right was a smaller doorway that she could tell led to a quieter area. Felicity took several steps towards it before changing her mind and slowly turning back around.. As she did so, Felicity saw Oliver reach the top of the stairs only to be stopped by a group of girls who clearly wanted to keep him company. As a charming smile slipped onto his face, she reconsidered yet again and turned back to the exit, moving as quickly as she could in the heels that she wore.

She barely made it to the quieter area before a warm, callused hand closed gently around her elbow and tugged her into a small, darkened hallway that clearly wasn’t meant for guests. Felicity didn’t even let out a noise of protest, knowing exactly who it was. He was there, solid and warm and alive, and pressing her to the wall with those blazing eyes fixed on hers. Felicity let her eyes rove over his face, drinking in their fill.

“I’m not crashing your party,” she said in an effort to break the heavy silence between them.

One of his eyebrows raised and Felicity let her head fall back against the wall with a light thump.

“I’m not stalking you, is what I mean. I got an invitation, though it might have been a mistake. I don’t really know why I came. I guess I just… wanted to see something,” Felicity rambled on, growing more nervous by the second. “You… I wanted to see you. I know that sounds really creepy and stalkerish but it’s not meant to be, I promise. It’s just… you’re alive.”

The last few words came out in a breathless rush.

“You’re alive,” Felicity repeated, closing her eyes out of relief.

Now that he was here, standing so close to her that she could feel his warmth and smell the hints of his cologne. Then she felt him move, hearing the rustle of his suit just before his rough thumb brushed a feather-light touch over her jaw. Felicity didn’t dare to move, afraid that he would disappear if she did.

“It wasn’t a mistake,” Oliver finally spoke.

Her eyes did fly open at that, meeting his with surprise. Bringing up her hand, Felicity tentatively reached out and slipped her hand beneath his jacket, settling it over his beating heart.

“I looked for you,” she admitted.

Oliver looked at her with the slightest bit of shock in his eyes, clearly not expecting that.

“You shouldn’t have,” he said.

Guilt and anger replaced the shock and she knew it was aimed at himself, for what happened in that hotel room. When he stepped away, she felt the loss of him as her hand dropped back down to her side.

“I chose to help you,” Felicity said, pushing off of the wall to close the distance between them again.

“You didn’t know the risks,” Oliver said without looking away from her. “I did.”

Felicity started to say something but then his phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, looking down at the screen. His face tightened ever-so-slightly just before he locked it again.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

He glanced up at her again, his eyes running over her face as if he was contemplating her.

“I asked someone to do something,” Oliver finally said, his voice quiet. “They didn’t do it.”

Felicity had the feeling that he was about to leave. Reaching out, she hesitantly brushed her fingers over the back of his hand.

“I’m really glad that you decided to come back,” she said, her voice nearly a whisper. “And if you ever need that help again, I’m happy to give it.”

Oliver looked almost pained at her words, as if he knew that he wouldn’t take her up on it. After two years, it was pretty easy for Felicity to romanticize what happened that day. Now she realized that reality was much colder. This man wasn’t the same as the one that brushed her hair back and said her name with such care. He’d been with the Russian mafia, that much she knew.

“Thank you,” Oliver said.

She dropped her hand back to her side again, nodding at him to let him know that he could go. He hesitated, meeting her gaze one more time before turning to walk away with the slightest hurry in his steps. Felicity somehow knew that he wasn’t in a rush to get away from her. He wanted to get to whoever hadn’t done what he asked. Her curiosity sparked for just a moment but she threw a metaphorical bucket of ice cold water on it, thinking that she may never figure out Oliver Queen.

Felicity lingered that hallway for a few long minutes before finally forcing herself to move, walking out of the building rather than further in. As much as she could use a few glasses of wine right now, it would just have to wait until she got home. Before she could step up to the curb and wave down a taxi, movement and flashing lights across the street caught her eye. A storm of police officers were rushing into Hunt Multinational while a few remained behind with their heads tilted all the way back.

She followed their gazes upward only to see flashing lights through the windows of the very top floor. Felicity doubted that there was a rave going on there. She knew that she should get into a cab and go home but for some reason, she was transfixed. Other people on the street had noticed as well and they were all stopped, watching whatever was going on. Then the lights stopped and she held her breath, waiting for something else to happen. Others lost interest but Felicity somehow knew that it wasn’t over. Sure enough, almost two minutes passed before there was a bright spark of light.

Then one of the windows shattered just in time for a dark figure to fall through. Her hands flew up to her mouth and she thought for sure that she was about to see someone plummet to their death. Then the figure caught on something, a thick wire that was connected to the building that she hadn’t seen until now. As he flew across it straight towards the building that she’d just left, a street lamp illuminated him for just a moment, letting her see the hood that covered his head and the quiver that was slung across his back. Felicity lowered her hands slowly as he disappeared from sight onto the roof of the planetarium.

_“I asked someone to do something.”_

Felicity barely noticed when the policemen rushed across the street, clearly trying to capture the man who had just flew between two buildings like it was nothing. Adam Hunt was the target of a lawsuit brought about by the people that he’d screwed out of their money. But even if he was found guilty, which was unlikely, there was no certainty that the money would ever be returned.

_“They didn’t do it.”_

Her breath left her chest in a sharp exhale and she shook her head, closing her eyes for just a moment.

“Robin Hood,” Felicity said with a slight smile before turning back towards the street, finally sticking her hand out to hail a cab.

Things were about to get very interesting in Starling City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear what you think!
> 
> **tumblr -[dreamsofolicity](https://dreamsofolicity.tumblr.com/)  
>  twitter - [jedibellarke](https://twitter.com/jedibellarke)**

**Author's Note:**

> I would love to hear what you think!
> 
> **tumblr -[dreamsofolicity](https://dreamsofolicity.tumblr.com/)  
> **  
>  twitter - [ogteamarrow](https://twitter.com/ogteamarrow)


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